Women's Health Care Improves Dramatically in Tunisia

Published February 1st, 2000 - 02:00 GMT

Tunisia's women's delivery fatality rate has radically dropped over the last 34 years from 134 per 100,000 to 68 and is expected to drop another 18 by

Tunisia's women's delivery fatality rate has radically dropped over the last 34 years from 134 per 100,000 to 68 and is expected to drop another 18 by next year, according to a report that showed significant improvements in women's health care.

The Tunisian minister for Family and Women's affairs, Neziha Zarrouk, announced at an international seminar that 84 percent of all pregnant women receive pre-natal care and 85 percent deliver their children in hospitals or medical clinics, Tunisia Online reports.

Other statistics revealed that 65% of women use contraceptive methods, which has reduced the fertility rate from an average of 7.2 children (1956) to 2.23 children today. The infant mortality rate has also dropped from 200 per 1,000 to 27 per 1000 and the national demographic rate is at a record low of 1.15 percent.